Sanjrani seeks report on tax exemption to ex-Fata traders

ISLAMABAD: Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani on Tuesday sought a report from the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Law and the FBR on the alleged violation of tax exemption extended to traders and investors of the erstwhile FATA through a legislative process in the parliament.

The report was sought by Sanjrani after a meeting of a 40-member delegation of industrialists from ex-FATA with him here at the Parliament House. The delegation told Sanjrani that after the merger of FATA in 2018, tax exemption was given for five years, but to the contrary, through various tactics, the steel and ghee industry was deprived of this exemption in the Finance Bill 2019.

To this, Sanjrani assured the delegation that relevant ministers and representatives of ministries and departments would be called for a meeting to solve the issue. The delegation said the most ironic of the matter was that all kinds of bank accounts of the business class associated with these industries had been frozen.

They charged that due to the unwanted behaviour of the authority concerned, more than 40 steel units and some units of ghee industries were shut down and this left thousands unemployed.

Sanjrani assured the delegation that their rights would never be compromised and tax exemption for five years would be ensured accordingly and in line with the law. He said the prime minister has on several occasions directed the ministries concerned to provide concessions for the promotion of trade activities and development of industries in the ex-FATA to develop these areas on a par with other parts of the country.

“However, the law passed by the departments concerned against the industries of the erstwhile FATA is being violated that will not be allowed in any case,” Sanjrani assured the visitors.